Facts On Youth Gambling

In a recent review of 14 U.S. and 6 Canadian adolescent gambling studies, it was found that in the past 10 years the number of teenagers ages 12 to 17 reporting serious gambling problems has increased by 50%, from 10 to 15 percent.

For adolescent problem gamblers, money is often not the driving factor. The money is simply a vehicle allowing the youth to continue wagering.

Gambling is generally more popular among young males than young females.

The rate of problem gambling is 2 to 4 times higher in adolescents than in adults.

Adolescents with pathological gambling problems commonly:

• Have poor general coping skills;
• Have lower self esteem;
• Have higher rates of depression;
• Dissociate more frequently when gambling;
• Are at increased risk for the development of an addiction or poly-addictions;
• Have problems maintaining friendships and relationships. These relationships are often replaced with gambling associates;
• Experience a rapid movement from social gambler to problem gambler;
• Are usually greater risk takers; and
• Are at heightened risk for suicidal thinking and suicide attempts.

Negative Impact & Problems Linked to Adolescent Problem Gambling include:

• Problematic gambling among adolescents has been shown to result in increased delinquency and crime;
• Youth, whose parents gambled excessively, had twice the number of problems with the law and twice the attempted suicide rate than their classmates;
• Many problem gamblers, that are also substance abusers, report that gambling is more addictive, and more difficult to recover from, than either alcohol or cocaine; and
• Juvenile involvement in gambling in the U.S. now exceeds the expected onset for their use of cigarettes, hard liquor and marijuana.

The information on this page was taken from: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Website (www.thegamble.org).

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, please see our “Where to Get Help” or “Helpful Links” sections.